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Fish oil aids Super Bowl winners

Feb 03, 2009

The Pittsburgh Steelers appeared to be in tip-top shape as they claimed the Super Bowl 43 title this past weekend, but professional football players--especially offensive and defensive linemen--often end up with serious health problems later in life.

A Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story highlights the unfortunate, and perhaps surprising, health effects of being the biggest and toughest, including obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and prediabetes. But the story also spotlights good news: Fish oil can help.

Thirty-six Steelers, ages 23 to 41, participated in a two-year study to determine the cardiovascular advantages of moderately high doses of fish oil, according to the article. The results showed the omega-3 oil helped lower bad cholesterol levels and raise good cholesterol levels.

Researchers also said the oil's anti-inflammatory effects could have helped players heal faster from injury and improve attention span, reaction time and cognitive processing.